Control device



Oct. 9, 1962 G. MCLAUGHLIN, JR., ETAL CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 30,1956 l7 I8 2022 I524 IO E O G TNm NU E N V M m 5 YL N H O J BENJAMINFRANKLIN HERR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,057,451 CONTRGL DEVICE GuyMcLaughlin, In, Lancaster, John Lester Denlinger, Manheirn Township,Lancaster County, and Benjamin Franklin Herr, Lancaster, Pa., assignorsto Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaFiled Apr. 30, 1956, Ser. No. 581,799 4 Claims. (Cl. 19821) Thisinvention relates to a control device, and more particularly to a devicefor controlling the feeding of a plurality of objects in properalignment to a processing machine.

This application is a continuation-in-part of our patent applicationSerial No. 264,332, filed December 31, 1951, now abandoned.

In the processing of objects, such as crown closures for example, it hasbeen found desirable to feed a plurality of the relatively light-weightmetal crowns to a machine in rapid succession. In machines of the typedisclosed in Patent No. 2,699,197 in the name of Guy Mc- Laughlin, Jr.,the crowns are fed in groups of five, and it is desirable that fivecrowns be in alignment before any crowns are fed to the machine. Thisovercomes the possibility of a lesser number of crowns than the fullcomplement being supplied to the machine.

An object of this invention is to provide a means whereby a given numberof crowns will be fed to a machine at one time and whereby no crownswill be fed unless the required number is available for feeding.

In order that our invention may be more readily understood, it will bedescribed in connection with the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the device in position for feeding crownsto the machine;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 in which the device is inposition for halting the feeding of crowns to the machine; and

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 in which the device isfunctioning normally.

In order to operate certain machines, such as crown spotting machines,it has been found preferable to supply crowns to the machine at the rateat which the machine is operating; however, due to certain unforeseenholdups in preceding operations, it is sometimes impossible to have therequired number of crowns available to supply a full complement to themachine. If a lesser number of crowns is supplied, the spottingattachment will place the spots on the metal channels where the missingcrowns should be located. This is highly undesirable. In order to avoidthis, it has been found desirable to provide a withholding device towithhold the crowns until the required number is available.

In order to accomplish crown withholding until the desired number ofcrowns is available, the finger 2 is positioned along the path of travelof the objects carried by the turntable conveyor 3, which objects are tobe supplied to the processing machine shown at 4. This finger 2 has acurved end 5 adapted to engage a crown or other object in position toenter the machine 4. After a series of five crowns has been supplied tothe machine, the machine 4 is moved until the next crown-receivingstation is in alignment for a supply of crowns. Attached to the rotatingpart of machine 4 is a plate cam 6 which engages ice a cam roller 7attached to arm 3 which pivots about point 9 and carries on its otherend the finger 2. The plate earn 6 moves the roller 7 away from themachine 4, pivoting the arm 3 about pivot point 9 and forcing the point5 on the end of finger 2 across the path of travel of the oncomingcrowns. As cam plate 6 advances with the machine 4, it next engages camroller 11 carried on the end of arm 12 which is pivoted about pivotpoint 13. Both the arms 8 and the arm 12 are mounted on the same mount14. The detector slide 15 is positioned for sliding movement over thissame mount 14.

The other end of arm 12 is connected at point 16 with a rod 17. Theconnection between the arm 12 and rod 17 at point '16 is such thatmovement of the arm 12 in a clockwise direction by reason of itsengagement with plate earn 6 will move the rod 1'7 from left to right asshown in the drawing, FIGURE 1. The detector 10 is mounted on a slide 15having an opening therein for the reception of the rod 17 and themounting point 16 between the arm and the rod. The rod 17 is surroundedby a spring 18 which is compressed between the nut 19 on the end of therod and the shoulder edge 2% of the slide 15. With this arrangement, ifthe detector 119, which is mounted on the slide 15 by means of stud 21,engages two crowns on the conveyor, "the entire slide 15 will beprevented from moving from left to right as shown in FIGURE 1. When thisoccurs, the arm 12 and the rod 17 will merely move in the opening 22provided in the slide 15, and the spring 18 will be further compressedbecause the rod 17 moves from left to right with the arm 12 but movementof the slide 15 is restrained by the crowns on the conveyor. When thiscondition exists, the parts assume the relative positions shown inFIGURE 3.

If detector 1%) does not engage stationary crowns in the conveyor,spring 13 will urge the entire slide 15 from left to right along withthe rod 17 and the arm 12 extending the detector 10 across the path oftravel of the crowns on the conveyor. The direction of movement of theslide '15 is controlled by a stud 23 which is mounted in the mountingmember 14, and the slot 24 in the slide 15 moves past the stud in suchmanner as to guide the slide 15. This forward movement of the slide 15causes the roller 25 carried on the projection 26 of the slide 15 toroll along the arcuate cam surface 27 of the dog 28. The arcuate camsurface 27 of the dog 28 is of such shape that when the roller 25 is inits foremost position, dog 28 will be urged into the notch 29 on thefinger 2. This compresses the spring 30 which is positioned between thespring mount 31 and the dog 28.

The detector 10 is pivotally mounted so that it will adjust itself toengage the skirts of the crowns without damaging them. Such pivotalmounting of the detector it? also permits it to be deflected by crownsin movement on the conveyor so that the detector will move forward intoany gap between crowns in motion on the conveyor. With this type ofarrangement, the only time detector it) will be restrained from itsforward movement across the path of travel of the crowns is when asufiicient number of crowns is in alignment and the line of crowns isstationary and waiting to be supplied to the machine 4. At all othertimes, if the crowns contacted by detector 14) are in motion, thedetector will move forward and prevent supplying crowns to the machine4.

After plate cam 6 has passed both rollers 7 and 11 on arms 8 and 12,respectively, the spring 32 moves the arm I'd do 12 in acounterclockwise direction, moving the rod 17 along with the end of arm12. Inasmuch as the spring 18 has urged the slide 15 along with the rodand the arm, the arm will now engage the slide and move it from right toleft as shown in FIGURE 1, returning it to its initial position. Suchwithdrawal of the slide 15 also withdraws the roller 25 along the camsurface of the dog 28 to the extent that the spring 30 forces the dog 28out of engagernent with the notch 29 in the finger 2 and allows spring33 to withdraw the finger from its position across the path of travel ofthe crowns. It will be understood that in the event detector 10 strikescrowns, the spring 18 will not move the slide 15 from left to right asshown in FIG- URE 1 and the arm 12 at the point 16 and the rod 17 willmerely move in the opening 22 in the slide. When this happens, slide 15does not move and the roller 25 will not move the dog 23 into the notch29 in the finger 2, and immediately after plate earn 6 passes roller 7the spring 33 will retract the finger from the path of the crowns andthe crowns will move into the machine.

In order that the operation of the machine may be more clearlyunderstood, it will now be described in connection with the sequence ofoperation when the normal supply of crowns is on hand and then thesequence of operation when insufiicient crowns are on hand. Assumingthat five crowns have just been supplied to one of the stations in themachine 4, the machine moving in counterclockwise direction, as shown inall the figures of the drawing, will cause the plate cam 6 positionedjust beyond the station to which the last group of crowns has beensupplied to engage cam roller 7 on the end of arm 8. Continued movementof the machine 4- in a counterclockwise direction causes the plate cam 6to rotate arm 8 in a clockwise direction, forcing finger 2 across thepath of travel of the crowns carried by the conveyor 3. As the plate cam6 continues, it next strikes cam roller 11, moving arm 12 in a clockwisedirection, forcing point 16 to move from left to right, as shown inFIGURE 1, carrying with it the rod 17. In this particular example,sufiicient crowns are in position in the conveyor 3 for supplying thenext station, so detector 10 will engage the sixth and seventh crownsand will prevent the spring 18 from urging slide 15 with the detector 10across the path of travel of the crowns in the conveyor 3. This beingthe case, slide 15 remains in a stationary position and as soon as platecum 6 passes roller 7 the spring 33 withdraws the finger point of thefinger 2 from its position across the path of travel of the crowns onthe conveyor and as soon as the next station on machine 4 is inalignment with the conveyor 3, the conveyor will force the crowns intoposition in the machine. By this time, plate cam 6 has also clearedroller 11 and the spring 32 moves the arm 12 in a counterclockwisedirection, returning point 16 and rod 17 to the position shown in FIGURE1 ready for the next cycle.

It will now be assumed that insufficient crowns are available to fillthe station. In this event, plate cam 6 strikes roller 7, causing arm 8to move in a clockwise direction about pivot point 9, forcing point 5 offinger 2 across the path of travel of any crowns on the conveyor 3.Continued movement of plate cam 6 in a counterclockwise direction bringsit into engagement with roller 11 on arm 12, moving arm 12 in aclockwise direction about pivot point 13, which in turn moves point 16on rod 17 from left to right as shown in FIGURE 1. If detector 10, whichis urged forward along with slide 15 by means of spring 18, does notengage crowns in the conveyor 3, the spring 18 will force detector outinto the conveyor 3 and the entire slide moves forward as slot 24 slidesby guide 23 to its fullest extent. This movement from left to right ofthe slide 15 causes the roller 25 carried by the slide 15 to roll alongthe arcuate cam surface 27 of the dog 28 and pushes the dog 28 into thenotch 29 in the finger. The

2- parts now have assumed the position illustrated in FIG- URE 2. Asplate cam 6 leaves roller 7, the spring 33 cannot withdraw finger 2,inasmuch as dog 28 is still in the notch 29, holding the finger inposition. After the plate cam 6 clears roller 11, the spring 32 rotatesthe arm 12 in a counterclockwise direction, withdrawing slide 15 anddetector 10, causing the roller 25 to withdraw along the 'arcuate camsurface 27 of the dog 28 and permitting the spring 30 to disengage thedog 28 from the notch 29, which then permits the spring 33 to withdrawthe finger from its position across the crowns in the conveyor. By thistime, however, the station will have passed the point of alignment withthe conveyor 3 and the next cam plate 6 will be brought into position toengage roller 7. If there is a prolonged delay in the supply of crowns,each plate cam engaging rollers 7 and 11 will have the same effect andthe detector will continue to move in across the conveyor and lock thefinger mechanism, thereby preventing the supplying of crowns in theevent an insufficient quantity of crowns is available for continuousoperation.

It will be clear from the foregoing that we have developed a device inwhich a plurality of crowns may be fed instantly to a processing machinebut will be withheld until the required number is available for feedingto the machine.

We claim:

1. The combination with a machine for receiving a predetermined numberof articles simultaneously to move them intermittently through a seriesof processing stations of a device for supplying a predetermined numberof articles simultaneously to said intermittently operated machine, saiddevice comprising a moving conveyor carrying a plurality of sequentiallyarranged articles, a stop positioned in the path of travel of thearticles, means controlled by said machine to be supplied for urgingsaid step across the path of travel of the articles on the conveyor, adetector positioned to contact the last article in the predeterminedgroup of articles on the conveyor, and means actuated by said detectorto lock said stop in position across the path of travel of the articlesif the detector does not contact the designated article.

2. The combination with a machine for receiving a predetermined numberof articles simultaneously to move them intermittently through a seriesof processing stations of a device for supplying a predetermined numberof articles simultaneously to said intermittently operated machine, saiddevice comprising a moving conveyor carrying a plurality of sequentiallyarranged articles, a stop positioned in the path of travel of thearticles, means controlled by said machine to be supplied for urgingsaid stop across the path of travel of the articles on the conveyor, adetector positioned to contact the last article in the predeterminedgroup of articles on the conveyor, and a dog actuated by said detectorto lock said stop in position across the path of travel of the articlesif the detector does not contact the designated article.

3. The combination with a machine for receiving a predetermined numberof articles simultaneously to move them intermittently through a seriesof processing stations of a device for supplying a predetermined numberof articles simultaneously to said intermittently operated machine, saiddevice comprising a moving conveyor carrying 'a plurality ofsequentially arranged articles, a stop positioned in the path of travelof the articles, means controlled by said machine to be supplied forurging said stop across the path of travel of the articles on theconveyor, a detector positioned to contact the last article in thepredetermined group of articles on the conveyor, resilient means to urgesaid detector into engagement with the articles on the conveyor, andmeans actuated by said detector to lock said stop in position across thepath of travel of the articles if the detector does not contact thedesignated article.

4. The combination with a machine for receiving a predetermined numberof articles simultaneously to move them intermittently through a seriesof processing stations of a device :for supplying a predetermined numberof articles simultaneously to one intermittently operated machine, saiddevice comprising a moving conveyor carrying a plurality of sequentiallyarranged articles, a stop positioned in the path of travel of thearticles, means controlled by said machine to be supplied for urgingsaid stop across the path of travel of the articles on the conveyor, apivoted detector positioned to contact one or more articles on theconveyor to detect if the required number of articles is present to fillthe machine at one interval, and means actuated by said detector to locksaid stop in position across the path of travel of the articles if thedetector does not contact the designated articles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,941,043 Meyer Dec. 26, 1933 2,051,105 Roberts Aug. 18, 1936 2,052,840Nussbaum Sept. 1, 1936 2,341,014 Blair Feb. 8, 1944 2,558,633 TuttleJune 26, 1951 2,771,177 Cutter et a1 Nov. 20, 1956

